Refrigerated dispenser



May 12, 1953 c. c. SMITH 2,

. REFRIGERATED DISPENSER Filed Nov. 12, 1947 3 Sl m'eets-Sheet 1 May 12, 1953 c, 3, SMITH 2,638,395

REFRIGERATED DISPENSER Filed Nov. 12, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet s Patented May 12, 1953 REFRIGERATED DISPENSER Charles C. Smith, Peoria, 111., assignor to Smithco, Inc., Peoria, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 12, 1947, Serial No. 785,300

16 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a dispenser of the general type which is coin controlled and permits the storage of a large number of articles from which single articles are dispensed upon operation of the dispenser.

A recurrent and stubborn problem in connection with dispensers of this type is that the re frigerated cabinet produces frosting within the unit and this interferes with the operation of the dispenser. In order to prevent frosting, the parts are very frequently fitted closely and this renders them particularly susceptible to freezing when even small quantities of frost accumulate with consequent disabling of the machine.

One object of this invention is to produce a refrigerated article dispenser in which frost is reduced to a. minimum and in which the parts are so designed and operated that even the accumulation of moderate quantities of frost will not interfere with the operation of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide sealing gaskets or insulating strips at various places in the machine where leakage is normally encountered, to prevent the entry of atmosphere and consequent frosting. Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism in which the sealing strips are compressed so as to provide effective seals against the entry of air.

A further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerated article dispenser in which the hopper in which the articles are stored and from which they are dispensed is spaced from the refrigerated inner wall of the cabinet and thus removed from the possibility of frosting of the stored articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerated article dispenser in which the storage hopper, with its associated dispenser mechanism, can be bodily lifted from the refrigerated compartment of the cabinet for repair or replacement, for cleaning out the refrigerated compartment, or for changing the size of the articles to be dispensed. This invention permits the removal of the complete hopper and associated dispensing mechanism without the use of any tools and permits its replacement and sealing in position without any attention required of the operator to the sealing arrangements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispenser of this type in which there is a rev serve tube between the storage hopper and the dispensing mechanism for the storage of a plurality of articles to be dispensed to insure that there will always be an article available for dispensing, even though the stored articles are tem porarily jammed in the storage hopper.

Z A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type in which jamming of the articles within the storage hopper is prevented by agitation of the stored articles at each operation 2 of the dispensing mechanism.

' this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of this invention;

Fig. 3 is the dispenser slide and agitator;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of the dispenser showing the hopper and dispenser slide and agitator construction;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section, as in Fig. 4, showing the removability of the hopper and dispenser slide and agitator; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section, as in Fig. 4, with the dispenser slide advanced to dispensing position.

Referring tothe drawings, the numeral H indicates a refrigerator cabinet which is conventional in form and is mounted upon the base l2. The cabinet has a delivery compartment [3 which opens to the outside by means of a door I4 which swings upon the hinge I5 and is preferably sealed by means of a conventional gasket about the delivery compartment opening.

The machine is provided with conventional coin chute mechanism l6 by which the operator inserts a coin, designed, through suitable controls (not shown), to operate the dispensing mechanism.

The lower portion of the cabinet forms a refrierator compressor compartment I! in which suitable conventional refrigerating mechanism may be installed.

The top of the cabinet is provided with a removable door 5 8 suitably insulated, as is the cabinet itself, by means of the insulation I9. The cabinet is formed with the outer walls 20 and inner walls 2|. The inner walls, which surround the refrigerated compartment, are encircled by the refrigerator tubes 22, by which the refrigerating medium is circulated about the refrigerated compartment formed by the inner cabinet walls 2landbottoml2l.

In the front of the cabinet is shown a dispensing motor compartment 23 in which the coin controls (not shown) are mounted; together with dispensing motor 24 and the operating lever 25 by which the dispensing motor, when energized, operates the dispensing mechanism.

Within the refrigerated compartment formed by the inner walls it! and bottom I2! is mounted the removable article storage hopper 26 which is formed of the hopper walls 2'l, the hopper base 2 3, and the stationary, sloping hopper bottom The hopper bottom 25E enters upon the hopper reserve tube 39 which leads to the dispenser slide and agitator 3|. It will be noted that the agitator 32 forms a portion of the sloping bottom of the hopper 2t and is secured to the dispenser slide 33. This slide is preferably made of a block of wood or other heat insulating medium to reduce the transmission of heat to the refrigerated compartment. The dispenser slide has cut into it a slot or cavity 34, designed to be of suitable size to receive a single article to be dispensed. Rollers 35 are mounted upon the sides of the dispenser slide 33 to facilitate its movement between the lower portions 36 of the hopper side walls 27. Cut into the side wall portions 33 are the dispenser roller tracks 3'! which have a cammed portion at the rear end of each track. The dispenser slide is operated by means of the draw bar 33 which engages the operating rod 39 by means of the pin 40. This arrangement of parts permits the draw bar to be dropped over the pin and the dispenser slide thus operatively attached to the operating rod 39 which passes through the operating rod sleeve 4i mounted within the insulation [9 between the cabinet outer wall It and the inner wall 2 l. Both the operating rod 39 and the sleeve may be made of materials with a low capacity for heat transmission, such as wood or suitable plastic materials to reduce the amount of heat transmitted to the refrigerated interior of the cabinet. The operatin rod 38 is engaged by the dispensing operating lever .25 to operate the dispenser slide whenever the motor 24 is energized.

The hopper base 28 cut with a slot 42 designed to permit the hopper to be lifted out of the cabinet without interference with the operating rod 39, l

The hopper base 28 has a throat 43 surrounded by the gasket or insulating strip 44 which is preferably made or compressible material. The hopper throat 2-3 enters into the delivery compartment throat 45 which opens upon the delivery compartment is and is surrounded with the gasket or insulating strip 46 upon which the hopper base 28 rests when the hopper 26 is in position within the refrigerated compartment of the cabinet.

Method of operation In order to charge the article hopper 26, the articles may be loaded into the hopper while the hopper is mounted within the refrigerated compartment of the cabinet or the article hopper may be removed in its entirety from the refrigerated cabinet and loaded. The removability of the hopper 26 has several advantages in that it may be removed for cleaning of the refrigerated compartment, for repairs, for the substitution of loaded hoppers for empty ones, or for the replacement of the hopper. This permits the use of hoppers for difierent sized articles within a single cabinet inasmuch as all of the moving parts of the dispensing mechanism which must be related to the size of the dispensed article, are removed with the hopper.

When the hopper is to be removed from the refrigerated cabinet it can be lifted, as shown in Fig. 5, directly from the refrigerated compartment through the opening in the top of the cabinet which is normally covered by means of the cabinet top I8.

The dispenser slide and agitator 35 is mounted between the side walls of the hopper and moves bodily with it. The connection between the dispenser slide 33 and the operating rod 39 is by means of the pin it from which the dispenser slide draw bar 38 can be lifted, as shown in Fig. 5.

When the hopper is returned to the refrigerated compartment the draw bar 38 is reengaged with the operating rod pin in and the hopper throat dropped within the delivery compartment throat 45, whereupon the hopper base 28 compresses the insulating strip or gasket it about the delivery compartment throat 5 and forms an effective seal and barrier against the entry of moisture-laden air or h at.

With the parts arranged as shown in Fig. 6 it will be noted that the reserve tube 3%), which forms the outlet of the hopper, is effectively closed by means of the dispenser slide 33 and that the hopper 26 is cut off from the reserve tube 3t by mean of the forward position of the agitator 32 which forms a part of the sloping bottom 29 of the hopper.

The reserve tube 30 has a capacity of several of the articles to be dispensed and insures that there is at all times a small supply of the articles available for removal by movement of the dispenser slide 33, thus preventing interference with the delivery of the articles in the event that the articles in the hopper 25are temporarily jammed therein. In order to reduce the possibility of jamming, the agitator 32 is provided. This agitator will, upon each movement of the dispenser slide 33, move forwardly and lift all of the articles within the hopper 26 above the reserve tube 39 and temporarily rearrange them so that upon the recession of the agitator 32, gravity will move the articles back toward the reserve tube 35 and thus insure that the reserve tube is at all times supplied.

With the parts in the normal position shown in Fig. 4, insertion of a coin and operation of the dispenser motor Ml will move the dispensing, operating lever 25 to the forward position shown in broken lines in Fig. 4. Thereupon the dis" pen'ser slide 33 will be drawn forward by means of the draw "bar 38 operated by the operating rod 39 until the cavity 34 in the dispenser slide moves from its position beneath the reserve tube 30 to its position immediately over the hopper throat 43, whereupon the article will drop from. the cavity 34 through the hopper throat the delivery compartment throat 45, into the delivery compartment l3", from which it may be removed by opening the door IA.

Each cycle of the operating motor immediately returns the dispenser slide 33 to its position where the cavity 34 is beneath the reserve tube 39 when another single article drop-s into the cavity 34 and permits articles to move down from the hopper into the reserve tube. .As heretofore described, this reciprocation of the dispenser slide also reciprocates the agitator 33 and rearranges the articles in the storage hopper. It will be observed that the dispenser slide 33 moves on the rollers 35 which ride in the roller tracks 37 cut into the lower portions 35 of the hopper side walls.

Upon movement of the dispenser slide to its rear position where the cavity 34 is beneath the reserve tube 36, the rollers will be forced downwardly by the cammed portion at the rear of the tracks 3"! and the dispenser slide thus forced downwardly to compress the hopper throat insulating strip or gasket 44, thus forming an efaes sou fectual seal against the entry of any air or moisture into the refrigerated compartment. The reciprocation of the dispenser slide is sufficiently rapid that the operator is unlikelyv to open the delivery compartment door l4 until this cycle has been completed and the dispensed article appears at the door.

' While I have shown this dispenser as designed for the dispensing of cylindrical objects, it is apparent that with slight modifications it can be arranged to dispense refrigerated'articles of different forms and sizes and that the use of the removable hopper gives the machine great versatility in the accommodation of articles of difl'erent size and configuration.

' As used herein the word hopper means a device defining a space to hold articles in a stack as distinguished from a trough where the articles lie in a row as shown in Mathewson Patent 951,323.

Having thus shown and described one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is intended to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

' I claim as my invention:

1. An article hopper adapted for use in a refrigerated article dispenser to dispense articles singly therefrom comprising side walls, a sloping bottom, .a dispenser slide and agitator reciprocable beneath the hopper to dispense articles singly therefrom and forming part of the bottom thereof, a cavity in the dispenser slide, a reserve tube leading from the hopper bottom to the dispenser slide, means upon the dispenser slide to move it vertically beneath the hopper as it is reciprocated to dispense article singly therefrom, a hopper throat beneath the dispenser slide, and an insulating strip surrounding the hopper throat and compressible by the dispenser slide as it is moved into a position where the cavity in the dispenser slide is beneath the reserve tube.

2. An articlehopper adapted for use in a refrigerated article dispenser to dispense articles singly therefrom comprising side walls, a sloping bottom, a dispenser slide and agitator reciprocable beneath the hopper to dispense article singly therefrom and forming part of the bottom thereof, a'cavity in the dispenser slide, a reserve tube leading from the hopper bottom to the dispenser slide, a hopper throat beneath the dispenser slide, a compressible insulating strip surrounding the hopper throat, rollers on the dispensing slide, tracks in the hopper side Walls for the rollers, and cam portions in the tracks to force the dispensing slide to compress the insulatin strip when the cavity in the dispensing slid is moved to the position where it is beneath'the reserve tube.

3. A refrigerated article dispenser adapted to store a plurality of refrigerated articles and to dispense them singly therefrom comprising a cabinet, a compressor compartment therein,'a refrigerated compartment within the cabinet having spaced outer and inner walls, insulationbetween the outer and inner walls, a delivery compartment in the cabinet, a door at the outlet thereof, a delivery throat inthe cabinet between the refrigerated compartment and the delivery compartment, an insulating strip surrounding the delivery throat, and a removablearticle hopper for storing and dispensing articles singly therefrom mounted within the refrigerated compartment and having a hopper throat receivable within the delivery throat so as to compress the delivery throat insulating strip.

4. A refrigerated article dispenser adapted to store a plurality of refrigerated articles and to dispense them singly therefrom comprising a cabinet, a compressor compartment therein, a refrigerated compartment within the cabinet having spaced outer and inner walls, insulation between the outer and inner walls, a delivery compartment in the cabinet, a door at the outlet thereof, a delivery throat in the cabinet between the refrigerated compartment and the delivery compartment, an insulating strip surrounding the delivery throat, a removable article hopper for storing and dispensing articles singly therefrom, a dispenser slide reciprocable beneath the hopper, a cavity within the slide, a reserve tube leading from the hopper to the slide, a hopper throat beneath the slide and disposed within the delivery throat to compress the delivery throat ins'ulating strip, a second insulating strip surrounding the hopper throat, and means to force the dispensing slide to compress the second insulating strip when the dispensing slide is moved to the position where the cavity is beneath the reserve tube.

5. A refrigerated article dispenser adapted to store a plurality of refrigerated articles and to dispense them singly therefrom comprising a cabinet, a compressor compartment therein, a refrigerated compartment Within the cabinet having spaced outer and inner walls, insulation between the outer and. inner walls, a delivery compartment in the cabinet, a delivery throat in the cabinet between the refrigerated compartment and the delivery compartment, an insulating strip surrounding the delivery throat, a removable article hopper for storing and dispensing articles singly therefrom, a dispenser slide reciprocable beneath the hopper, a cavity within the slide, a reserve tube leading from the hopper to the slide, a hopper throat beneath the slide and disposed within the delivery throat to com press the delivery throat insulating strip,a'second insulating strip surrounding the hopper throat, rollers on the dispensing slide, tracks for the rollers, cams on the tracks to force the dispenser slide to compress the second insulating strip when the slide is moved to the position where the cavity is beneath the reserve tube, and means to reciprocate the slide from the position where the cavity is beneath the reserve tube to a position where the cavity is above the hopper throat, and return.

6. A refrigerated article dispenser adapted to store a plurality of refrigerated articles and to dispense them singly therefrom comprising a cabinet, a compressor compartment therein, a refrigerated compartment within the cabinet having spaced outer and inner walls, insulation between the outer and inner walls, a delivery compartment in the cabinet, a delivery threat in the cabinet between the refrigerated compartment- 0nd insulating strip surrounding the hopper throat, rollers on the dispensing slide, tracks for the rollers, cams on the tracks to force the dispense-r slide to compress the second insulating strip when the slide is moved to. the position where the cavity is beneath the. reserve tube, a draw bar secured to the dispenser slide, a sleeve in the cabinet wall between the outer and inner walls, an operating. rod passing through the sleeve and engageable by the draw bar, and means toreciprocate the operating rod to reciprocate the dispenser slide from the position where the cavity is beneath the reserve tube to a position Wherethe cavity is above the hopper throat, and re turn.

7. A reirigeratcd article dispenser adapted to store a plurality of reirigerated articles and to dispense them singly therefrom comprising a cabinet, a; compressor compartment therein, a refrigerated compartment within the cabinet havirlg spaced outer and inner walls, insulation between the outer and inner walls, a delivery compartment in the cabii ..t, a. delivery throat in the cabinet between the refrigerated compartment and the delivery compartment, an insulating strip surrounding the delivery throat, a removable article" hopper for storing and dispensing articles singly therefrom, a dispenser slide reciprocable beneath the hopper, a cavity within the slide, a reserve tube leading from the hopper to the slide, a hopper throat beneath the slide. and disposed within the delivery throat to compress the clelivery throat insulating strip, a second insulating strip surrounding the hopper throat, rollers on the dispensing slide, tracks for the rollers, cams on the tracks to force the dispenser slide to compress the second insulating strip when the Slide is moved to the position where the cavity is be neath the reserve tube, a draw bar secured to the. dispenser slide, a sleeve in the cabinet wall between the outer and inner walls, an operatin rod passing through the sleeve and engageable by the draw bar, an agitator secured to the dispenser slide and forming a portion of the hopper bottom, and means to reciprocate the p at rod to reciprocate the dispenser slide and agitator from its normal position with the cavity beneath the reserve tube and the reserve tube open to the hopper; to its dispensing position with the cavity above the hopper throat and the agitator covering the reserve tube, and return.

8. An; article hopper for storing and dispensing articles sir 1y from a dispenser cabinet compris-- ing'. hopper side walls, sloping bottom Walls, a gap between the sloping. bottom walls, an outlet from the a reserve tube beneath the hopper outlet, 2. dispenser slide and agitator beneath the hopper bottom wall, the agitator forming the hopper bottom at the gap between the sloping bottom walls, a cavity in the dispenser slide normally positioned beneath the reserve tube, and means to reciprocate the dispenser slide and asitator to move the cavity from beneath the reserve tube and to move the agitator across the hopper outlet thus closing both ends of the hopper reserve tube.

9. A dispenser for use in a vending machine defining a chamber and an outlet passage in the bottom of said chamber and adapted to dispense articles upon reciprocating movements of a shiftable member in said chamber; said dispenser comprising means defining a hopper adapted to be received in said chamber and having an outlet opening in spaced relation with said outlet passage, said hopper having an incompletesloping surface, and a reciprocoble slide disposed between said means and the bottom wall of said chamber and. adapted to mate with said member as said dispenser is inserted: in said chamber, thereby to execute reciprocating movements therewith, said slide having an opening adapted to receive articles from said second outlet passage at one point of movement and to register with said first outlet passage at another pointcf movement to deliver articles of said first outlet passage, said slide defining the incomplete portion of said hopper to agitate articles therein when operated.

10. A dispenser for use in a vending machine defining a chamber and an outlet passag in the.

bottom of said chamber and adapted to dispense articles subject to stickingfrom said chamber upon reciprocating movements of a shiftable member in said chamber; said dispenser comprising means defining a hopper adapted to be received in said chamber and, having an outlet opening in spacedrelation with said outlet passage, the hopper having, an incomplete sloping surface, and a slide having a reciprocable member disposed between said means and the bottom wall of said chamber and parts movable in response to the movement. of said reciprocable memher and defining a portion of said hopper, said last member further being adapted to mate with said first member as said dispenser is inserted in said chamber thereby to execute reciprocating movements therewith, said last member further having an opening adapted to receive articles from said second outlet passage at one point of movement and to register with said first outlet passage at another point of movement to deliver articles thereto, the slide defining the incomplete portion of the hopper to agitate the articles when operated.

11. A refrigerated cabinet having a hopper receiving chamber and an article delivery passage leading from the bottom of said chamber, an article hop-per insertable into. said hopper receiving chamber and including a sloping article supporting wall having an article outlet opening and a separate wall spaced from the underside of the supporting wall and having an opening in alignment with the article outletopening but offset therefrom and in registry with the passage when said hopper is inserted. into position of use within said chamber, a slide loosely fitting within the space between the supporting wall and the lower wall and shiftable between normal and delivery positions, said slid having an opening therein in registr with the article outlet opening when in normalposition and in registry with the passage when in delivery position, and means responsive to movement of the slide to normal position for sealing oil the passage through the cabinet.

12. A refrigerated cabinet having a hopper receiving chamber and an article delivery passage leading from the bottom of said chamber, an article hopper insertable into hopper receiving chamber and including a, sloping article supporting wall having an article outlet opening and a separate Wall spaced from the underside of the supporting wall and having an opening in alignment with the article outlet opening but ofiset therefrom and in registry with the passage when said hopper is inserted into position of use within said chamber, a slide loosely fitting within the space between the supporting Wall and the lower wall and shiftable between normal and delivery positions, said slide having an opening therein in registry with the article outlet opening when in normal position and in registry with the passage when in delivery position; a sealing gasket about the opening in the lower wall of the hopper, and means responsive to movement of the slide to normal position for displacing th slide downwardly to efifect a sealing relation all around with said sealing gasket to seal off the opening in communication with the passage.

13. A refrigerated cabinet having a hopper receiving chamber and an article delivery passage leading from the bottom of said chamber, an article hopper insertable into said hopper receiving chamber and including a sloping article supporting wall having an article outlet opening and a separate wall spaced from the underside of the supporting wall. and having an opening in alignment with the article outlet opening but offset therefrom and in registry with the passage when said hopper is inserted into position of use within said chamber, a slide loosely fitting within the space between the supporting wall and. the lower wall and shiftable between normal and delivery positions, said slide having an opening therein in registry with the article outlet opening when in normal position and in registry with the passage when in delivery position, a sealing gasket about said opening in the lower wall of the hopper, another gasket about the opening into said passage for establishing a sealing relation with the lower wall when in position of use, and means responsive to movement of the slide to normal position for displacing the slide downwardly into sealing relation with the gasket about the opening in the lower wall to seal off the passage.

1.4. A refrigerated cabinet as claimed in claim 12 in which said means for effecting downward displacement of the slide comprises an operative connection between the lateral edges of the slide and the adjacent wall of the hopper including a slot with a downturned end in one and a pin in the other operative within the slot to effect downward displacement of the slide as the pin passes into the downturned portion of the slot.

15. A refrigerated cabinet having a hopper receiving chamber and an article delivery passageleading from the bottom of said chamber, an article hopper insertable into said hopper receiving chamber and including a sloping article supporting wall having an article outlet opening and a portion thereof shiftable vertically and horizontally for agitation of the articles contained Withr in the hopper and a bottom wall spaced from the underside of the sloping wall and having an opening in alignment with the article outlet opening but offset therefrom and in registry with the passage when said hopper is inserted into posi- 10 tion of use within the chamber, a block slidable within the space between the supporting wall and the bottom wall between normal and delivery positions, said slide block having an opening therein in registry with the article outlet opening when in normal position and in registry with the passage when in delivery position, and an operative connection between the slide block and the portion of the supporting wall capable of horizontal and vertical movement to cause said shifting of same responsive to movement of the block between normal and delivery positions.

16. A refrigerated cabinet having a hopper receiving chamber and an article delivery passage leading from the bottom of said chamber, an article hopper insertable into said hopper receiving chamber and including a sloping article supporting wall having an article outlet opening and a portion thereof shiftable vertically and horizontally for agitation of the articles contained within the hopper and a bottom wall spaced from the underside of the supporting wall having an opening in alignment with the article outlet opening but offset therefrom and in registry with the passage when said hopper is inserted into position of use within said chamber, a slide block shiftable between the supporting wall and the bottom wall between normal and delivery positions, said slide block having an opening therein in registry with the article outlet opening when in normal position and in registry with the passage when in delivery position, means cooperating with the slide block during movement between normal and delivery position for causing same to shift in the vertical direction, and an operative connection between the slide block and the supporting wall capable of vertical and horizontal movement to cause said shifting of same responsive to movement of the block between normal and delivery positions.

CHARLES C. SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 452,635 Dieterich May 19, 1891 529,655 Lamplough Nov. 20, 1894 951,323 Mathewson Mar. 8, 1910 1,330,799 Gilliam Feb. 17, 1920 1,798,654 Brown Mar. 31, 1931 1,843,233 Kaiser Feb. 2, 1932 1,852,392 Axelson et a1 Apr. 5, 1932 1,925,677 Richardson et al. Sept. 5, 1933 2,253,482 Forsthoefel et al. Aug. 19, 1941 

